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Face it, hockey fans, until the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers re-establish themselves as factors in the NHL’s annual playoff derby, Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada clash at Rexall Place and every other meeting between the provincial rivals just won’t have the same pizzazz.

Don’t just take it from me.

“I understand the rivalry between Edmonton and Calgary, but I don’t believe in rivalries until you’re a Stanley Cup or a playoff contender,” said Flames head coach Bob Hartley in advance of Saturday’s date with the Oilers (8 p.m., CBC/Sportsnet 960 The Fan).

“Right now, I’m trying to build something. If we make enemies along the way, that might be part of our journey.”

There was a time that the Flames and the Oilers shared one of the most intense and exciting rivalries in the sports world, with Al MacInnis, Joe Nieuwendyk, Mike Vernon & Co. locking horns with Edmonton’s so-called Boys on the Bus, led by Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Grant Fuhr.

For nine straight campaigns from 1982-90, either the Oilers or the Flames finished atop the regular-season standings in the NHL’s Clarence Campbell Conference. There were five Stanley Cup parades in Edmonton during that span, plus one championship celebration in Calgary.

Fast-forward to 2013-14, and the geographical rivals are sharing the cellar in the Western Conference.

The Flames didn’t truly commit to a rebuild until the night that Jarome Iginla was traded to Pittsburgh last March. Hartley’s bunch might be the hardest-working group in the NHL, but their 22-30-7 record is proof there’s a lot of road ahead.

A few hours north on the QEII Highway, this was supposed to be the year that talented young’uns Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins finally ended the Oilers seven-year playoff drought. With a 20-34-7 mark so far (and four fewer points than the Flames), it ain’t gonna happen.

Fans from Athabasca to Vulcan, Acme to Vegreville, can debate which of the Alberta-based squads will win this Race to Rebuild, but Hartley is only worried about what’s growing in his own yard.

“Before we even think of winning on a consistent basis, there are steps that need to be taken,” Hartley said. “As a fan, you want the end result. You want the wins, you want the wins, you want the wins. But when you’re in it, I believe that there’s a process to be followed.

“So, for me, I’m not ready to look at the neighbours right now.”

Ice chips

Flames prospect Jon Gillies was among the 18 collegiate puck-stoppers named Friday as nominees for the inaugural Mike Richter Award, which will be presented to the top goaltender in the NCAA ranks.

Gillies, a sophomore standout for the Providence Friars, was the Flames third-round pick in the 2012 NHL draft. Heading into Friday’s meeting with the Maine Black Bears, the 20-year-old had a 14-7-5 record this season with a 2.23 gaols-against average and a .926 save percentage.

Calgary Flames head coach shrugs off Battle of Alberta

Face it, hockey fans, until the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers re-establish themselves as factors in the NHL’s annual playoff derby, Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada clash at Rexall Place and every other meeting between the provincial rivals just won’t have the same pizzaz.

Don’t just take it from me.

“I understand the rivalry between Edmonton and Calgary, but I don’t believe in rivalries until you’re a Stanley Cup or a playoff contender,” said Flames head coach Bob Hartley in advance of Saturday’s date with the Oilers (8 p.m., CBC, Sportsnet 960 The Fan).

“Right now, I’m trying to build something. If we make enemies along the way, that might be part of our journey.”